What is Israel’s innovation DNA? Israel produced over 80 companies that are listed on Nasdaq—the third most in the world, and second most after China when excluding the United States. We can credit this achievement to Israel’s unique Chutzpah spirit. Chutzpah is Hebrew for audacity and boldness. In particular, Israel values seven mind-sets in education and entrepreneurship: transcending conventions, respecting inquiry, integrating creativity, managing crises, displaying mission orientation, demonstrating perseverance, and learning from failure. This session features the “masters of innovation” who have embodied this chutzpah spirit. Yozma Group Chairman Yigal Erlich worked as the Chief Scientist of Israel’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, and laid the groundwork for an enterprising Israel by founding the venture investment group Yozma Fund in 1993. Even at the age of 75, Mr. Erlich actively participates in this industry as a manager of a recently launched venture fund. Grove Ventures CEO Dov Moran has been widely recognized as an Israeli venture hero after he invented the USB memory stick. Roni Einav is a venture investor who has led dozens of Israeli venture enterprises to be listed on Nasdaq. Denes Ban is a Managing Partner at OurCrowd, the leading Global Equity Crowdfunding platform and Venture Capital fund, “one of the largest crowdfunding organizations on the planet,” according to Forbes. The leaders of Israeli innovation will speak on “why Korean startups cannot become prominent with just technical skills” and “the prospect of Korean innovation.”

Deep-tech startups create value by developing new solutions, not only by disrupting business models. Because they are advancing the technological frontier, lying at the crossroads of fundamental research and industrial application, they face unique challenges.
To address the challenges, deep-tech startups rely on several stakeholders (public authorities, universities, corporates, VCs etc.) each of which addresses specific needs. During this session, key stakeholders will share their insights on how to strenghten deep-tech ecosystems.

Consumers are becoming increasingly smarter. Armed with social networking services, they are demanding businesses to produce more goods at a faster pace. Purchase is not solely based on necessity but rather is intertwined with individual tastes and preferences. As such, a company cannot attract consumers simply by producing quality products at cheap prices. How should companies deal with these clever consumers? What should businesses do to draw consumers to choose their products? Professor of Business at Columbia Business School Sheena Iyengar, whose book The Art of Choosing was short-listed for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award in 2010, will speak on how to captivate the consumers of tomorrow.

Throughout the history of the human world, many wise people – across all religions and all cultures - have attested to the crucial importance of reputation. In the words of one, William Shakespeare, “the purest treasure mortal times afford is a spotless reputation.” If we lose our reputation suddenly, there can be terrible consequences – in our standing, our relationships and in financial losses. The historic principles of good crisis management remain unchanged: senior people having the courage to front up publicly; an understanding that taking responsibility is not the same as taking the blame; and expressing genuine emotional empathy for those affected. But the Web 2.0 environment and social media changed the rules of the game. Anyone and everyone are entitled to comment on you. If your business has upset, anyone rest assured they will let you know. Very quickly. Add to that a sharp decline in nearly all countries of respect and trust in institutions – public and private. And, in some key countries, a political environment based on a new and unpredictable populism. Amidst all this, how do we help CEOs to sleep better at night? How can we expect the unexpected?

In an era that requires global cooperation to tackle the issue of climate change, will nations be able to overlook their individual interests for the common welfare of the planet? Could the response to climate change create a new opportunity for economic growth? The UN World Meteorological Organization declared 2016 “the hottest year on record.” The world is facing great difficulties in overcoming climate change due to issues such as rising sea levels, increases in the prevalence of communicable diseases, and natural disasters. The Trump administration’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement has signaled a red light for global response strategies toward climate change. Some consider the withdrawal to be a devastating blow for the new agreement. Despite the setbacks, climate change is widely recognized for its potential for future economic growth. Renewable and green energy industries have become a new paradigm for economic development, and many countries are spurring the development of technology related to climate change. Also, discussions on the role of government in expanding renewable energy are actively in progress. This session will discuss what green growth is, and what its future holds in store.

Socially responsible investment is not only ethical but also profitable. After analyzing stock price changes between 2006 and 2010, the MSCI reported that the ESG portfolio (Global Best-in-Class ESG) recorded 1.7% higher in profit return than the MSCI World Equal Weighted. Recently, the GPIF, which operates the National Pension Fund of Japan, has decided to prioritize investments to socially responsible companies. Corporations are highly alerted by public fund investments that take non-financial factors such as the ESG into account. Investments that consider factors such as the ESG contribute greatly to the enhancement of corporate value and long-term competitiveness, and increase the sustainability value of our society by directly and indirectly promoting corporate social responsibility management. In Korea, Corporate Governance Service Korea introduced the stewardship codes in December 2016. This session will discuss the strengthening of accountability and transparency in major pension management and seeks mid- to long-term solutions for corporates.

The 2016 International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Report estimated the annual cost of bribery at two trillion USD, roughly equal to 2% of the global GDP. Similarly, the EU Anti-Corruption Report evaluated the cost of corruption in the EU at 120 billion EUR; considering the annual EU budget of 140 billion EUR, the financial damage caused by corruption is extremely severe. Corruption has far-reaching negative consequences. Not does it only distort the market economy, but it also harms enterprises by increasing the cost of economic activities and raising the uncertainties in transactions. It weakens democracy, government transparency, and constitutionalism. It worsens inequality and poverty, and undermines the credits of governments, public institutions, and enterprises and corrodes the moral standards of ordinary citizens. In short, corruption is a significant barrier to the sustainable development of society. Recent crises related to enterprise opacity and government-business collusion, such as Volkswagen’s “Dieselgate” and Korea’s recent political corruption scandal, have further undermined mutual trust in societies. Despite such drawbacks, the international community’s anti-corruption laws are in fact becoming stronger, and Korea has followed this trend by enacting the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. The enforcement of the Act has brought changes to unhealthy customs and culture in Korea. What are some of the solutions—ones that could become the catalysts transforming a corrupt society into a trust-based society—that can be achieved through a collective action?

Economic cooperation is a key to easing strained East Asian relations, especially in light of North Korea's recent nuclear developments. There is no doubt that the development of Russia’s far-east region along the North Korean and Chinese borders will be an essential step towards the reunification of the Korean peninsula. Once the two Korean countries peacefully reunify, the land route to Eurasia finally opens. This new opportunity will lead Korea to face a new era as the country emerges from generations of division and isolation.
Eurasia has been accelerating its integration, mainly through the creation of Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in 2015 with Kazakhstan, Belarus, and four other former Soviet states. South Korea plans to negotiate with the EAEU to reach a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) within this year. The EAEU is the largest (based on GDP) among the markets South Korea has not reached a free trade agreement with. Experts say that in the midst of the 'America First' campaign of the Trump Administration that shakes the world free trade order, South Korea must devote its attention to find various markets such as Eurasia.
In this session, in which the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) will attend as a knowledge partner, presenting insightful perspectives from both Korean and Russian experts on the prospect of economic cooperation between the Korean peninsula and Eurasia, as well as the possibility of reunification.

A radical convulsion in the existing global order in East Asia is expected with the inauguration of Trump administration. As China is relentlessly expanding its power throughout East China Sea and West Pacific region, and Japan inexorably marching toward the path to ‘normal state’ and ‘normal military’, the conflicts among regional powers over the maritime and territorial issues are on the border of tipping point.
Furthermore, the North Korea’s technological development in nuclear weapons and long-range missiles are reaching the level of sophistication well beyond our previous expectations. If they become able to find major breakthroughs in miniaturizing and reducing weight of nuclear warheads, additional upgrading of long-range missiles, and laying its hand on SLBMs, the present security order in East Asia will be destabilized far worse. The detrimental impact of North Korean behavior will never be confined solely within the context of Korean peninsula, and instead be spilled over into peace and stability of not only North East Asia but East Asia and international community in general as well.
It is of paramount importance that the ROK, countries in its proximity and global society must put their heads together and hash out workable solutions to shape stable security order for permanent peace and stability of the world. It time to make a clean break with false assumptions and self-deceiving patience, re-establish desirable goals, and push policies forward that can be accomplished with limited time-frame.
It appears up until this moment that countries involved have pursued and implemented policies for stable management of inter-Korean division on the peninsula. From this moment henceforth, however, we must shift our paradigm into “reunification of nuclear-free Korean peninsula’ policy for attaining ultimate peace and stability, and undertake the policy in a resolute and unwavering manner because the time is never on our side.
It is without doubt that there are convergences and divergences among countries involved in relation to the crucial issue of regional stability in East Asia, as well as the reunification of Korean peninsula. Taking the opportunity of forthcoming discussion, we are committed to identifying such differences of perspectives and finding ways of mutual cooperation for peace and stability on the peninsula and East Asia.

China’s rise, aside from its positive influence and developments, gave birth to a range of difficult challenges for established global players. As it continues to grow in profile and importance, how will China seek to change the international order, and how should countries with major stakes in the existing order respond? What are the challenges presented by China’s unique state-led economic engagement and how are the U.S. and Europe looking to address them? Do they risk trading off political interests for economic return? Countries all over the world are eager for investment, particularly in infrastructure – as demonstrated by the reaction to its one-belt one road initiative. Are there security and geopolitical risks that accompany such investment from China, and how can it be mitigated? The U.S. and Europe share interests in China’s rise; they also share risks around these and other issues. Given their established political, economic, security, and active institutional ties, is there anything they can do apart from coordinating responses to the downsides of China’s rise? And can they do so in ways that preserve and promote the upsides of its engagement with the world? Can U.S and Europe cooperate in Asia? How will their attempt be recognized? Will they acquire additional partners in Asia?

The biggest global issue of 2017 was the election of U.S President Donald Trump. His presidency has affected international trade more than any other factor. As promised during his election campaign, he took a drastically different path from his predecessors. The Trump administration imposed an immediate renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and declared the United States' withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other practices that the president considered unfair. The new administration also threatened to terminate one of the most important free trade agreements in Asia - the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS). The Trump presidency has created many uncertainties among its Asian trading partners. What is Trump's trade strategy towards Asia and where is it heading to? Will the new administration transform over time? Are there any internal forces of the United States to mitigate its strategy, or will the trading partners settle accordingly? Will it be possible for the United States to maintain its role of global leadership or will the world find new leadership? What are the alternatives?

Will the Chinese economy survive, or will it sink? China’s economy grew 6.9 percent in the first quarter of 2017, which is the first time that quarterly growth has grown since 2010. It raises hopes that the Chinese economy will recover. Yet Moody’s, an international credit rating agency, demoted China’s sovereign credit rating by one level on May 24 for the first time in 28 years. The primary reason behind this decision lies in China’s reliance on economic stimulus plans to reach its economic growth level targets. Following a rapid increase in national debt from the overheated housing market, Chinese financial stability has also weakened. An estimation in April revealed that the total Chinese national debt compared to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 265 percent—a doubled rate since the financial crisis. There are predictions that China will be the epicenter of the next global financial crisis. Where is the Chinese economy heading to? What are the current stock and housing market trends in China? Are there solutions to various obstacles to China’s sustained growth? The country’s labor shortages and regional/class polarization are crucial problems which must be solved for the economy’s sustainable development. As China’s economic constitution improves, will the economic relations between China and its neighbors change? China’s shrinking manufacturing industry and localization of intermediary goods is a warning signal to Korean firms that have traditionally exported intermediary products to China. With rising labor costs in China, Korean companies have been moving their production bases to newly emerging economies such as Vietnam. The future of economic trade between Korea and China remains uncertain.
When will China assume the United States’ current world leadership role? As Chinese economic power rapidly rose, the U.S. “Pivot to Asia” policy came into conflict with China’s “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) movement. Currently, it appears as if the United States is acknowledging China’s ascension as an economic power. Will the AIIB and OBOR initiatives realize China’s vision for regional integration? What are the obstacles? China confronts considerable uncertainty due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy. In the past, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was at odds with China’s Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). However, the United States under President Trump withdrew from the TPP. What will the future of the world trade order look like?

If you want to succeed in China, the second-largest consumer market in the world, you should pay attention to the millennial generation of China. In China, people born in the 1980s are called Baling Hou, and those born in the 1990s are called Jiuling Hou. They account for 45% of the consumer market last year and their presence will grow up to 53% by 2020. The Chinese consumer market is expected to reach $6.5 trillion dollars by 2020 (Chinese market researcher Ali Research), and opening up their pockets will be the key to success in the Chinese market. The Chinese millennial generation has a propensity to consume 'individuality'. Consumer goods such as food, travel, and luxury goods are consumed mainly in taste, and the patterns are rapidly changing. China's per capita income is about $8,000, yet its consumption is similar to the countries with a per capita income of more than $20,000(LG Economic Research Institute). This is mainly due to the intensive enjoyment of parents' income and China's One-Child policy. The meaning of 'luxury goods' the Chinese defines is distinctly different. They actively engage themselves in new brands as well as existing luxury brands. In addition, they do not stick to one particular brand but they tend to create their own style while considering various brands. For those who are accustomed to foreign brands or high-end goods, price or fame is no longer a prerequisite for luxury goods.
Adrian Cheng, the Vice President of Hong Kong’s jewelry chain 'Chow Tai Fook' and Joint General Manager of New World Development, explains the strategy on targeting Chinese new-generation. In 2009, Vice President Cheng founded outsized complex shopping malls in Hong Kong and Shanghai named ‘K11’ which combined art exhibition component and shopping center to target young consumers. Founder of private equity fund ‘DORR group’, which holds a value of 40 billion dollars that has exclusive rights to famous brands such as Miniso and BMW, and ‘Novena Global Healthcare Group’ Nelson Loh analyzes the Chinese consumer market’s change from an investor’s perspective. Chuang Wei, the founder of an online chain ‘Xingkeduo’, which instantly connects people with hairdressers, also shares his experience on how he has successfully appealed to young high-income professionals.

The Chinese government’s ‘Made in China 2025’ is a policy that aims to prepare for the future by converting country’s labor-intensive manufacturing to smart technology-intensive manufacturing industries. The main point is to promote the ten key industries including the next generation information technology and aerospace facilities. As of now, China is turning to ‘Created in China’ products leaving behind the mass production strategy of ‘Made in China’ through low wage labor. Chinese companies are also emerging as the ‘first movers’ in the age of the fourth industrial revolution under the country’s policy. Pioneering corporations such as the BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent), the internet finance company ‘Ant Financial’, the e-commerce company ‘JD.com’, the ride-sharing company ‘Didi Chuxing’, the drone company ‘DJI’, and the electric car company ‘BYD’ are all emerging from China. Chinese universities are expanding advanced Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) majors such as the big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) to foster technologically skilled entrepreneurs. The Chinese version of Silicon Valley, Beijing Zhongguancun and Cosmetic Bay, are crowded with youth.
What strategy does ‘Made in China 2025’ contain specifically? What national efforts is China making to take lead in the era of The Fourth Industrial Revolution? What is China’s leading technological field? How are entrepreneurs preparing and how is the future business start-up boom promoted? How should Korean companies cooperate with China, the forerunner in the era of the new industrial revolution?

Meet eight young Chinese entrepreneurs who are leading China’s top firms. These young entrepreneurs, all active in their respective fields, will share stories of how they succeeded in the Chinese market and shed light on the challenges and opportunities facing various industries, as well as the future of the Chinese market.
Xiao Dun is the co-founder of 17zuoye.com (a.k.a. Homework Together), China’s largest online homework platform that has 40 million registered members. Dun led his company to success by attracting parent users, expanding the target market which traditionally comprised of only students and teachers.
Wang Lei is a prominent figure in the Chinese pension industry, who co-founded China’s largest online retail shop No.9 Happiness as well as around 4,000 offline stores that cater specifically for the elderly. China’s elderly population reached 212 million by the end of 2014, or 15.5% of the total population. The Chinese pension market is foreseeing strong growth potential, with the proportion of elderly population estimated to increase up to 35% by 2055.
Si Wei (Robin Si) launched an information website about studying abroad called ShiCha in 2011, which she sold to China’s largest educational group XinDongFang within two years of its establishment. In 2014 Si founded a fitness app named QuanChenReLian which eventually rose to no. 1 in the number of paid members, with 500 thousand members. Si also founded GU CYCLE, a boutique bicycle brand that targets a high-income client base. She will share outlook on China’s O2O market, and the key to establishing successful startups.
Richard Tan is the CEO of INNOSPACE+, a company that discovers and incubates venture businesses in China. He will talk about the criteria that Chinese investors base their decisions on when investing in startups.
Zhang Qiang is the CEO of Qunar, currently 2nd leading Chinese online travel service in the industry with 30% of the market share. Qiang will speak on his decision to use an independent management style upon merging with CTRIP, which was no.1 in the industry in 2015.
Sam Lau is the chairman of Qianhai Heungkong Finance Holding Group. Lau is the successor to Heungkong, a real estate enterprise that holds approximately 8 trillion won (50 billion yuan) in furniture, distribution, finance and housing assets. He will discuss how he entered the financial business sector, as well as the opportunities and challenges the Chinese financial industry will face.
Zheng Jun Yue is the CEO of ‘QIYI Investment Group’ which has maintained its position as a renowned sauce manufacturer since 1874. She has cast light upon the Chinese hotel market after recently opening a 5 star hotel, “Cynn.”
Lin Lin is the director of ‘China International Beauty Expo (CIBE)’, the largest beauty expo in Asia. Ten thousand businesses including 500 Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 800 thousand audience members participate each year in the exposition held in Guangzhou (March·September) and Shanghai (May). She will talk about the future of the exposition, which is held offline in an Internet-oriented world in addition to how the beauty market in China is changing.

Discontent with economic globalization has been simmering for some time. It has burst out into an open struggle as epitomized by the election of the Trump administration in the United States and the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. Since the end of World War II, the United States has been at the forefront of leading the creation of an open, innovative, and dynamic market-driven global economy, in which all countries can thrive and grow. The rationale for globalization has been that an international economic order founded on free trade in goods and services, capital mobility and diffusion of technology among countries would support vigorous, sustainable, and inclusive national growth as well.
But this dogma has been increasingly challenged by both the liberal and conservative camps in recent years. In many advanced economies, achieving strong inclusive national-level growth to revive a declining middle class, boost stagnant incomes, and curtail high youth unemployment has been disappointing. Having failed to make a progress on meeting the domestic priorities, international economic arrangements-the backbone of a liberal international order- have come to be perceived as hampering a country’s capacity to advance its own interests. Having won the presidential election on the platform of anti-globalization, the Trump administration has lost little time in proclaiming that the existing global economic governance is unfair and biased against the US interests as it is structured for the United States to absorb a disproportionate share of the cost of providing global economic public goods-that is, creating and upholding international economic agreements and managing global institutions.
The Trump administration repudiated the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement, withdrew from the climate change accord, and now wants to renegotiate the NAFTA and Korea-US Free Trade Agreement. It has shown little interest in promoting multilateral free trade within the framework of the WTO. It has made clear that it would instead pursue negotiating bilateral trade and other economic agreements with other countries if they serve the United States to achieve its goal of making America great or they are consistent with the America First agenda. In place of a free multilateral trading system, the Trump administration is in fact setting out to create a spaghetti bowl of bilateral agreements. European leaders have expressed their dismay over the US retreatment from the world. They question whether they could rely on the US as a trade and security partner. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany went so far to saying that “The times in which we could rely fully on others — they are somewhat over,” and the result is that “we Europeans must really take our fate into our own hands.
The vacuum that arises from the US retrenchment will create an opportunity for China to lead the establishment of a trade pact for Asia – an opportunity that Chinese leaders are already set to seize. In conjunction with its “one belt, one road” strategy and its creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, China’s influence in the region will expand significantly as a result.. Mr. Xi is rolling out a more audacious version of the Marshall Plan in a quest to create deep economic connections and strong diplomatic relationships. No matter what they say, however, European and Chinese leaders are far from being able to work together to create a radically different and legitimate world order, one in which China presides over Asia, in the absence of the United States. At the same time, the American public in general, US congress and the Trump administration will sooner or later begin to realize that the country simply cannot disengage itself from international commitments it has made and that an American retreat would make the country far less safe and prosperous. The idea that putting Americans “first” requires a withdrawal from the world is simply wrong, because a retreat would achieve exactly the opposite.
However until it does return to the global economic arena, there will be a transition period of long duration, during which the supply of global public goods-the most important being consolidating global governance and leadership- may decline, undermining global economic stability for two reasons. One is that as noted earlier, major economic powers excluding the United States do not have enough economic clout or legitimacy to create a new international economic order. Another is that the United States will eventually return to the global economic arena, but with a drastic reform of the international economic governance that will put its interest ahead of the interests of other countries. At this stage, it is uncertain as to whether major players in the global economy will be able to develop a new international economic order acceptable to both advanced and emerging market economies and if they succeed, how long it is going to take to thrash out the details of a new agreement. In the meantime, for emerging market countries the trend away from multilateralism could hurt. Whereas poor and less-developed countries found opportunities to grow and prosper under the old order, they may have to negotiate effectively on a bilateral basis.
In the global economy panel discussion, the members will be asked to express their views on: (1) the effects of the America First policy of the Trump administration on growth and stability of the global economy; (2) whether major powers could agree to reform of the existing global governance and if they do how long it would take to establish a new order; (3) the expected configuration of the new system; and (4)in this regard, what role could China, The EU and India play?

The world’s investment environment is left in a mist of zero-visibility. Anti-globalization and populism are circling political communities, and the effect of Brexit is difficult to estimate. Optimism on the emerging markets including China is losing strength. If another financial crisis occurs, world central banks would not have enough capacity to endure the effect contrary to the case of 2008. In this era of hyper-uncertainty, investors should constantly examine their portfolio and seek various investment opportunities. Where should investors pay attention to in the future? Where should they invest? In this session, with Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) participating as a knowledge partner, the major investors of the world economy will deliver their investment prospects.

The digital innovation is ushering in a sweeping change in the traditional business structure and model. Although the manufacturing industry has traditionally focused on boosting production capacity, hardware innovation alone has limits in increasing productivity. This has prompted manufacturers to cultivate digital prowess, such as big data analysis capabilities, in order to secure an edge in the market. Corporations are also adopting novel ideas and technology, while upgrading related human resources and organizational infrastructure to better implement the transition.
With new ideas and technologies continuing to be born at corporations, research institutes and universities, we may need a separate recipe for their successful commercialization. The success of digital innovation hinges on not only how a firm designs its research and management structures but also national strategies such as "Industry 4.0" of Germany and "Made in China 2025" of China.
This session will explore ways to improve business strategies, industrial structures, government services and educational innovations in order to embody creative ideas in the digital sector for corporate growth and national economic development.

Joko Widodo, the President of Indonesia who took office in 2014, is leading the economic revival of Indonesia through infrastructure investment, easing regulations on foreign investment and lowering interest rates. With his background in business, President Widodo is putting reformists in front of his cabinet to break the bureaucracy. The government is aiming for an annual economic growth rate of 7 percent in 2019. With the world's 4th largest population (250million), can Indonesia overcome the challenge to become the next driving force of world economy? In this session, ministers from Indonesia, including Thomas Lembong, the Chairman of Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Industry and Triawan Munaf, the Chairman of the Indonesia Creative Economy Agency (BEKRAF) will discuss the economic outlook and promising industries for investment.

Along with Singapore, Malaysia is considered one of the most developed countries among the Southeast Asian nations. The infrastructure for economic development is well-developed and is home to more than 5,000 companies around the world. Of course, like many other nations Malaysia could not avoid the impact of uncertainties prevailing the world economy. Malaysia was in the spotlight in the Islamic finance center based on oil money, but raw material prices fell and caused the income per capita unavailable to exceed more than $10,000. Nonetheless, the stability of both the political and economic system, highly-educated workforce, and high technical standards are the reasons for highly evaluating the possibilities of Malaysia in the growing ASEAN market. In this session, Azman Mahmud, CEO of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), and Idris Jala, President of PEMANDU Associates and former cabinet minister who has been responsible for the regulatory reform in Malaysia for 6 years, will introduce numerous merits of investing in Malaysia.

Can India become the world’s most significant economy? Although India’s economy was stagnant in the first quarter of 2017, due to its late-2016 currency reform, the World Bank predicts India’s economy to grow at an annual rate of at least 7% until 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been pushing for the manufacturing initiative policy known as “Make in India,” is also promoting monetary and fiscal reforms through new policies on currency and tax. The success of India, which may lead to a “Second China,” is attracting the interests of many global entrepreneurs and businessmen. In this session, Monte Xing Al Wahlia, Chairman of the National Planning Commission of India, who is nicknamed “The Pioneer of Indian Economy,” will be speaking about the prospects and direction of the Indian economy.

Particularly in the last two hundred years, significant global paradigm shifts have occurred enhancing the way we live, as well as the quality
of our existence. Along with these radical changes in lifestyle, we have recklessly depleted our natural resources and decimated earth’s ecosystems,
leaving us with what can only be described as a dismal future. However, over the past couple of decades, a growing number of thought-leaders and innovators,
have increasingly acknowledged the dire need to fundamentally alter our approach to health, wellbeing, earth, and our very existence. Powered by
advancements made with emerging foundation technologies, fresh perspectives and possibilities have arisen, giving new hope that a completely
different global paradigm is on the cusp of transforming the dystopian present into a future where disease and disability will be relegated into the annals of history.

This session projects the future of the agricultural industry converged with technology. In smart farms, unmanned tractors carry out plowing, fertilizing and harvesting of crops 24 hours. They can also adjust the degree of the plowing according to the hardness of the ground, and spray the fertilizer adjusting its components to the nitrogen density of the soil. The machines communicate wirelessly with each other, moving around the farmland coherently without interruption, while self-diagnosis and repair such as engine inspection are also carried out. Experts predict that once such smart farm technology is implemented, agricultural production will surge by ten times. At the forefront of smart farms technology, the United States has achieved implementation by about 70%, followed by China, Japan and Europe. South Korea’s level of smart farm technology is known to be behind about seven years compared to that of the United States.
Leading experts in the field will explore cutting edge information and trends in smart farm technology and future agriculture. Kenneth Sudduth, Professor of Bioengineering in University of Missouri, Qin Zhang, Director of the Center for Precision & Automated Agricultural Systems (CPAAS), Washington State University, and Professor Oh Kyung-Tae, President of Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (iPET) are invited as panel speakers, moderated by Choi Chang Hyun, President of Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery. Professor Sudduth is a research scientist at the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS). He is an expert in the field of soil analysis and mapping. Professor Qin is a world-renowned expert in the field of unmanned agriculture robots and a researcher from John Deere, an American manufacturer of farm machineries. President Oh is the director responsible for planning, evaluation and management of KRW 200 billion worth of Korean agricultural R&D.

The recent shift towards safe and healthy food has resulted in consumer demand for transparency and choice. In this session, we learn how breakthroughs in microbiome research can provide illness prevention and solutions.

We have had constant breakthroughs over the past decade, but what makes it different from other periods in history? The technologies being invented today are not just adding a new dimension to our lives or the way we live: it will be exponential rather than incremental. We have been experiencing breakthroughs across all sectors, and what magnifies the opportunities they offer is the new concept of convergence of technologies and the interdisciplinary collaboration between different technology and business sectors. This opens new doors to greater opportunities and technologies that are, and will soon enter into the market, unlike anything we have ever imagined possible.

The transition towards large-scale clean energy not only requires a change in infrastructure, but also in thinking. Meet the leaders who are helping the world realize the potential in renewable energy through modernization of grids, creation of high-capacity storage systems, and other technologies.

As disruptive innovations, EVs and autonomous cars have made major headlines over the last few years. Though the prospects are exciting, consumer understanding seems low and regulations lag behind innovation. What is being done to encourage the renaissance of the automobile industry?

Learn how leading sciences are using diverse approaches from Synthetic Biology, Genomics, and Neuroscience for the high-throughput interrogation and control of transcriptional and epigenetic cell states to uncover the biological mechanisms behind neurodegenerative disease and complex genetic disorders, as well as to develop tools and therapeutic strategies for their treatment.

Computer-brain interface is not a new concept, but it has gained momentum in the last decade. Learn more about neurotechnology and how it offers a wide range of opportunities to harness the brain's potential.

Smart medical devices and the power of IoT is enabling the creation of a fully-integrated healthcare system. Now more than ever, hospitals are adopting diagnostic and monitoring systems that provide quick and accurate data for preventative healthcare and solutions. As many countries experience ageing populations, the global market for smart medical devices is sure to boom.

3D bio printing has stunned the world with the ability to produce organs and tissues using living cells. Though a regulatory framework for bio printing is still one step behind, the possibilities are endless for transplants, reconstructive surgery, drug testing, and more.

In the past 10 years bioprinting has made a significant leap forward, and it has been extensively used in fabrication of living tissues for various application areas.
3D bioprinting technology has been recently commercialized by pioneer organizations and has benefited from serious interest in medicine and pharmaceutics. 3D bio printing has stunned the world with the ability to construct organs and tissues instantly. Discover how this technology is drastically changing the way we develop drugs, treat disease, and more.

With the computer and mobile era, came a wave of significant opportunity that forever impacted the way we live. Technological advancements since then have catalysed breakthroughs that gave rise to new ideas, leading to emerging foundational technologies. For the past couple of decades, these foundational technologies have slowly become more accessible to innovative leaders around the world, which has led to ever increasing breakthroughs. As we enter the era of convergence, it will result in the merger of these breakthroughs, resulting in an exponential change far greater than the computer and mobile revolutions combined.

New breakthroughs and technological advancements have steered the recent boom in the robot economy. What are the latest developments in robotic engineering and how will it reshape the marketplace? With new applications of robotics in our businesses and homes, how does this transform the way we operate our lives?

How can VR foster visualizations of entire smart electronic factories? How VR makes building, planning, and construction more efficient? How could industrial visualizations help bring products to life? Discover how VR is reshaping the industrial landscape in ways we are only just beginning to understand.

The world would stand still if not for developments in technology. How will today's innovations shape our society? Learn about what today's leading engineers and scientists are planning for the future.

Industry 4.0 describes the journey industrial companies are embarking ontowards a complete value chain transformation that will result in them becoming true digital enterprises. Successful companies will have physical products at the core, augmented by automated and data-based services. Discover how nanotechnology is reshaping the manufacturing industry.

Deep learning (neural nets) - a subset of AI - has offered us programs such as Speech and Image Recognition. However, with the incredible win of Google's AlphaGo, the world is left to wonder about the opportunities AI could create when applied to real-world issues, and whether it can drive effective change.

With the latest advancements in AI, how can humans remain abreast? Neuronal devices and the case for biological AI has become increasingly relevant. During this session, we will explore what biological AI is, the role it presently plays, and what impact it will have on our future and generations to come.

Our panelists discuss where we stand globally with Deep-learning, AI, and biological AI advancements. What are the latest breakthroughs, what important factors should be considered for the future, and what are the opportunities?

Transportation is evolving now more than ever before: No need to imagine solar-powered planes launched into the stratosphere, or bullet trains that travel from Busan to Seoul in just 30 minutes - because it's already happening right now!

Particularly in the past decade, traveling to andcolonizing Mars has become an ever greater focal point in the media; TV shows, movies and the like, have proffered these notions. Realistically, however, how pragmatic are these ideas and if they are indeed practical, when will these notions be transformed from mere ideation, and what would it mean for our planet, society at large, and more importantly, who will have the opportunity to go. History delivered pioneers who led the way into near space, but we have pioneers who are planning to go beyond; the desire to push the boundaries is innate. Our speakers, pioneers on the impending journey to Mars, will aim to address and answer the myriads of questions we all have.

The "Miracle on the Han River", the explosion of development and progress for the past few decades, has not only put South Korea on the map, but has also positioned the country as one of the technology leaders of the world. However, South Korea has faced challenges in recent years with regards to its emerging technologies and the commercialisation thereof. In support of addressing this challenge, Hello Tomorrow Korea's mission is to bring global awareness to what Korea's science-entrepreneurs have to offer and take Korean deep technology to the world. This will be achieved with the support of our global network comprising corporates, investors, science-entrepreneurs, and leading field experts, all brought together at Hello Tomorrow's World-wide Startup Challenges & Conferences, culminating into the Global Investor Day, Summit & Startup Challenge in Paris.

In the search for Korea's best Deep Technology / Advanced Technology Startups, our Deep-Tech Startup Challenge will feature the top 10 Korean startups who applied to the Hello Tomorrow Global Startup Challenge. Our Challange judges will select the top 3 startups. The #1 winner of the Startup Challenge will receive a Rapid Commercialisation Workshop of $50,000US in value and a travel allowance to attend the Hello Tomorrow Summit in Paris on October 26th and 27th.

Investing in Deep-Tech is a long and complex process. Once aninvestor finds a technology that may be of interest, the process has only begun. Thereafter, commercial and technical due diligence is crucial; in many cases technology and industry experts must be consulted. The questions we aim to address in this panel explore what VCs are looking for when investing in the technology of today built for tomorrow's world - in some cases, a world that does not yet exist.